‘Hidden Cash’ internet phenomena spreads to San Diego County

The @Hiddencash Internet phenomena that started in San Francisco has spread to San Diego with one anonymous philanthropist hiding cash near Mission Bay and in Escondido earlier this week and another claiming that a series of clues announced via Twitter would point someone to a hidden “test drop” on Monday.

The person responsible for the first of the local scavenger hunts began using the sdcashstash Twitter handle earlier this week to tweet out clues, which led a few lucky San Diegans to envelopes filled with up to $100.

The local excitement came as 36 “Angry Birds” figurines stuffed with money were buried overnight at Hermosa Beach, near Los Angeles. That location was revealed at 11:30 a.m. by the Twitter account @HiddenCash, which started the craze with money hidden in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The most recent post on the San Diego Twitter page announced another drop would be made sometime late Sunday afternoon, although the mystery donor said in an earlier Tweet he or she would not be providing as many hints in an

effort to “avoid unsafe crowds.”

Another person who is using the @SDHiddenCash account began enticing San Diegans earlier this week with the online post that said “Our cash caches will span across all of the Greater San Diego area. You are never too far away to come up lucky!” The Tweet also showed a map of San Diego County.

The next posting revealed the first clue to the small prizes, along with a photo of several plastic bags ties together.

“Our test run will feature a breezy spot so head west before the afternoon sun and the marine layer burns off,” it said.

The most recent post from @SDHiddenCash was a link to a website showing social issue advertisements — again featuring plastic bags.

The @Hiddencash movement spread from San Fransisco and moved to the Los Angeles area, vexing police but delighting the public. Hundreds, possibly thousands of people converged on the Empire Center in Burbank after the man

left hints on the social media site directing people to the area.

The original @Hiddencash account promised today there would be one last giveaway in Los Angeles Sunday, but said he was then departing that area after that.